Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
When Our Faith Is Shaken
Liturgical Cycle: A | Lectionary Cycle: II
Introduction
Greeting (See Responsorial Psalm)
I will listen to the voice of the Lord,
for it speaks of peace.
His help is near for those who fear him.
May the Lord, with his help, be always with you.
R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
Is the Lord to be found also in the chaos of our doubts, our confusion, our hesitant faith? Can he still be found in the disorder of our time? He is there, in the storms and difficulties of the little world of our own heart and in the wide, divided and threatening world, but it is hard to recognise him there. If we really encounter the Lord in faith, friendship, and deep love, then the Lord makes everything quiet, even when the stormwind keeps blowing, for he makes his presence felt. Keep trusting, keep believing, for the Lord is here with us.
Penitential Act
When we sink into sin, we cry out:
Lord, save me, for I am perishing.
Let us ask the Lord to extend his saving hand.
(pause)
Lord Jesus, you ask us:
People of little faith, why do you doubt?
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, when we are full of fear,
you tell us: courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, we ask you: if it is you, tell us
to come to you across the water
and to follow you all the way:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord,
calm the storms caused in us by sin;
give us your peace and lead us
to the joys of everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray God
for a firm faith that cannot be shaken
(pause)
God our Father,
we believe in you, in your love and your care.
But you know how our faith is often tried
by doubts, uncertainties and fears.
Make our faith strong enough to believe
that your Son Jesus is with us
to revive our faith and to give us the courage
to live with the risks of doubts and ambiguities,
and to confirm in their faith
our brothers and sisters in need.
Keep us hoping, and let Jesus
take us by the hand and lead us
to you, our God and Father for ever. R/ Amen.
First Reading
After the Storm Came a Gentle Breeze: The fiery prophet Elijah is discouraged when his efforts do not yield lasting results. He marches to the desert, to the mountain of God. There God comes to him, not in fire and storm but as a gentle breeze and gives him fresh courage.
On reaching the place, he came to the cave and stayed in it. Then the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Then the Lord said: “Go up and stand on the mount, waiting for the Lord.” And the Lord passed by.There was initially a wild windstorm that rent the mountains and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the storm, an earthquake occurred, but the Lord was not in the earthquake;
after the earthquake, a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire, the whisper of a gentle breeze.
When Elijah perceived it, he covered his face with his cloak, went out, and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then he heard a voice addressing him again: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Responsorial Psalm
R. (8) Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD — for he proclaims peace.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and prepare the way of his steps.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
Second Reading
May My People Accept Christ: Paul is very sad that the Jews, the people of the promise, have not accepted Christ. When the promised Saviour came, they did not recognise him.
The Situation of Israel
I sincerely tell you, in Christ, and my conscience assures me through the Holy Spirit that I am not lying:
I have deep sadness and constant anguish for the Jews.
I would even prefer that I myself suffer the curse of being cut off from Christ rather than my brethren—I mean my own people, my kin.
They are Israelites whom God adopted, and on them rests his glory. Theirs are the covenants, the law, the worship, and the promises of God.
They are descendants of the patriarchs, and from their lineage, Christ was born—he who, as God, is above all distinctions. Blessed be He forever and ever: Amen!
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I wait for the Lord;
my soul waits for his word.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Tell Me to Come to You across the Water: Peter stands for the Church and also for each of us. If in the storms of our times we rely only on ourselves, we are in danger. If we trust in Jesus Christ, we are safe.
He Walks On Water
Immediately, Jesus obliged his disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he sent the crowd away.
After sending the people away, he went up the mountain alone to pray. By nightfall, he was there all alone.
Meanwhile, the boat was far from land, dangerously rocked by the waves, because the wind was against it.
At dawn, Jesus walked on the sea to reach them.
When they saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, thinking it was a ghost. And they cried out in fear.
But immediately, Jesus said to them:
“Take courage! Don’t be afraid. It’s me!”
Peter responded:
“Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water.”
Jesus told him:
“Come!”
Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on the water to go to Jesus.
But seeing the strong wind, he was afraid and began to sink; he cried out:
“Lord, save me!”
Jesus immediately extended his hand and grasped him, saying:
“Man of little faith, why did you doubt?”
As they stepped into the boat, the wind died down.
Then those in the boat bowed down before Jesus, saying:
“Truly, you are the Son of God!”
Prayers of the Faithful
Let us pray with great faith to our God who is ever-present to people. He speaks to us with a voice of peace. Let us say: R/ Lord, let us see your kindness.
– Lord, you are not in lightning and thunder of anger and revenge. Hear the cries of your Church wherever it is persecuted and deprived of freedom, we pray: R/ Lord, let us see your kindness.
– Lord, you are not in the tornado of those who inflict harm on their opponents; be merciful on their victims and on those who hurt them, we pray: R/ Lord, let us see your kindness.
– Lord, you are not in the earthquake of those who sow fear and cause wars. Give peace and justice to their victims and also to those who hurt them, we pray: R/ Lord, let us see your kindness.
– Lord, you are not in the fire of those who judge and condemn other people. Show your gentleness to those who are their victims and convert the hearts of those who hurt others, we pray: R/ Lord, let us see your kindness.
– Lord, you are in the gentle breeze of people who try to serve you well and who bring joy to their families and communities. Stay close to them and give them courage, we pray: R/ Lord, let us see your kindness.
Father, we hope in you, we trust in your word. Be near to us, let your Son be our companion in life now and for ever. R/ Amen.
Prayer unnoticed—it takes place normally during the Agnus Dei—and the Gifts
Prayer over the Offerings
You wish to reassure us,
Lord our God,
how much you are with us
through him who is our food and drink,
your Son Jesus Christ.
May he give us the courage
to walk with him the stormy road of faith
and to take the risk of love.
May we thus set our fears aside
and make his reassuring word
the foundation of our life and work,
until we reach the haven of peace
In you, our God forever and ever. R/ Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
With one heart and one voice, let us express our trust in God, for he gave us his Son Jesus as our Saviour and companion in life.
Introduction to the Lord’s Prayer
Let us pray with the Lord Jesus,
his prayer of trust in our heavenly Father. R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us Lord, from sin and every evil
and grant us your peace in our day.
Keep us free from discouragement
and from all paralyzing fears.
Help us to discover behind obstacles
the saving hand of your Son,
that we may march forward with joyful hope
toward the full coming
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation to Communion
This is Jesus, the Son of God,
who says to us today:
“Take courage, it is I;
come to me and walk with me
across dangers and obstacles.”
Happy are we to receive the Lord
and to have him renew our faith and strength.
R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer after Communion
Lord God, Father of all,
you invite us through Jesus, your Son,
to leave our timid security
and to come across the water with him
to commit ourselves to you and to others.
Even though we do not see his hand
reaching out to us and holding us,
give us enough trusting faith to be certain
That with him we shall overcome.
Build up your future among us,
until Jesus leads us across to you,
our God forever and ever. R/ Amen.
Blessing
This Eucharist has been, I hope,
a heartening experience of faith.
We have expressed our faith
that Jesus our Lord is with us,
that he never abandons us,
that he stays with us in the storms of life,
that he extends his helping hand to us
and that with him we can overcome all obstacles.
May this hope and trust always grow in us,
with the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Let us go in the peace of Christ. R/ Thanks be to God.
REFLECTIONS
Mt 14:22-33
Faith
Today, the Gospel presents us with the theme of faith. And it does so in a very graphic way with an example that we can all understand. Believing is somehow like getting out of the safety of the boat and jumping into the water in the middle of the storm. That is what Jesus asks Peter to do. In a way he challenges him to trust him. But Peter hesitates because he feels insecure. It is possible that we often feel like Peter, insecure. And we seek reassurances that, like Peter, we will not find.
Sometimes we wish that faith were the result of a scientific demonstration. Or that it had been a miracle or something extraordinary that had provoked our faith. In the end, faith is supposed to put us in relationship with God. And God is considered in these cases as a distant, powerful and ultimately dangerous being for people's lives. Since we do not feel safe in front of him, we want convincing proof.
The reality is that faith is the basic attitude on which any relationship is established. A very clear example of this can be found in the love relationship of a couple. Neither partner can ever say that he or she is absolutely sure of the other's love. He or she only has signs: smiles, words, caresses, phone calls... but nothing more. These indications confirm love but are never conclusive proof. In the end, each person has to step forward and trust. And trust each other.
It is exactly the same with God. We have no choice but to trust him. Because we do not have and never will have conclusive proof of his existence. We only have witnesses. One major witness: Jesus, who spent his life doing good, healing the sick and loving everyone he met along the way precisely in the name of God. He told us that his love was the fruit of God's love, that he loved us with the same love of God and that we have to trust him. And we have many other witnesses.
The many men and women who have followed him, trusted him, and lived lovingly and doing good. But we have no proof of that love. We must trust. In today's Gospel, Jesus invites us to throw ourselves into the water, to live without fear, trusting in God's love. He invites us to believe in him and to trust that, with him, we can overcome the dangers of life. Because his love is always with us.